Snow condenser



SE t. 19

p 20 27 E. J. JONES SNOW CONDENSER Filed Nov. 27, 1926 dTTORJVEY t Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

. ERWIN J'. JONES, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

snow connnnsnn.

Application filed November'27Q1926. SeriaI'NO. 151,231.

' My invention relates to a machine for re-, moving'snow from'streets; roads, etc.,'and then condensing and disposing of it. The object is: to provide an eflicient snow clean- 2 5 mg device which scoops up the snow from the surface, subjects it to an initial reducing process comprislng a series of steam jets and further condensing and handling means hereinafter describedand as illustrated in '10 the'accompanying'drawing, in which Fig; 3. is an enlarged detail elevation of one ofthe snow-actuated plates-.ofmy device and its steam valve controlling means. -Fig.4 isa sectional detail of the steam valve in Fig.3 and adjacent parts of the steam manifold about asz on line 1-4 m Fig. .5. is :a vertical longitudinalsectlon of the mainsteam-passage and branch pipes of my;:.s'team Jdistributor.=.or .manifOld and a steam operated rotary motor for-operating a vfwater pump.

p :Fig. 6.is an enlarged'isectional :elevation about as :on line'6 6 in Fig. 5 and. illustrat- '30 ing further automaticsteam feeding means I Yfo r the rOtary pump motor. Q

Referring tothe drawing by referencenuvmerals I-havefillustrated my device mounted on the 1 front end of a steam thresher engine of. which lO: designates front wheels, 11 the rear or tractionywheels, 12 isthe-cab at the rear end of an elongated'boiler 13 having a fire box 14:. 15v is the-usual smoke stack and 16a steam dome on top of-th'ebo'iler.

' 17 is an upright'box like' frame preferably f ofsheet'metal and opening" forwardly, its

rear wall designated as 17 "being suit-ably secured to the front of theboiler 13 and-adjacent- 'parts'and forward of -the wheels 10 of the-engine. 17 is the top or roof of the housing,- '17 -the sidewalls and 17 the bottomx'Qf the housing; I

On theire'ar wall-17 I secure an: upright hollow steam; manifold '18 communicating by means of a 'pipe19with' the interior of dome 16.. Saidmanifold; has a number of .ver'tically l spaced forwardly directed conductor pipes 18 thefront end of each conductorpipelS? it :is connected with. atransbe verselyarran ed horizontal upper pipe 20- of afqnadrangu ampipeframeof which. 2111's forwardly and downwardl side walls 17 and its lower edge normally resting on a the other horizontal pipe, both pipes 2021 connected at their adjacent ends by pipes 22 and each said pipe frame is normally in a directed angular plane from its pipe 18'. Each of these pipe framescomprises a steam conductor, the 7 horizontal pipes so arranged that the lower pipe 21 is in'fixed parallel relation to the upper pipe 20 of the next lower pipe frame but'outwardly thereof and slightly higher (see Figs. 2 and 3).

Each pipe 21 is provided witha row of outlet apertures directed upwardly and rearwardly to provide steam jets directed accordingly as indicated by arrow 23 in Fig. 3 and each pipe 20haslike outlets directed rearwardly and downwardly to provide steam jets dlrected as arrow 23 toward the rear wall of the housing. H v

24 are a series of vertically spaced pivotally suspended plates each extending between the and pivoted therein as at 25 pipe 21 (see Figs; 2 and 3) with th'eplate inclined rearwardly and downwardly from its "pivoted edge.

26 is the main snow scoop and initial snow handling part-of my device. It comprises a forwardly and downwardly inclined plate secured to .two vertical end plates 27 which are pivoted on a shaft or pin 28 retained in i transversely registering-apertures in the side walls 17 B and at the lower front part thereof. 29 is a primary fixed plate or scoop mounted on said shaft 28 and inclined upwardly and: rearwardly therefrom to the lowest pipe 21 in the housing '(see Fig. 2). 29? are secondary plates or scoops mounted between the side walls 17 in spaced relation and parallel'to scoop 29.

v 30'is a steam heated floor plate comprising two plates with steam space between them and communicating with the interior of the lowest pipe 21, the plate sloping downwardly and rearwardly-to the lower'part of Wall 17. It is thus obvious that water accumulating on top of the plate 30 will flow rearwardly to wall 17 in which is provided an outlet 31 (Fig. 2) communicating with a centrifugal pump 32 fixed on the lower part of wall 17 "and whichforces the water through a conduit 33z-into a water reservoir 34 suitably attachedtothe under side of boiler 13. Said reservoir has a suitable water outlet 35.

I The pump 82 rotates horizontally and is operated lay/a vertical drive ehaft iifi the a pump for forcing said melted snow tothe reservoir; a steam distributing manifold in said housing, a. conductor pipe from said manifold'to each said steam sprayer frame,

' a main feed pipe from the source of steam to said manifold and an automatic valve device within said manifold to control passage of steam to said pump.

4; The structure specified in claim 1 in which said latter means comprise an outlet pipe from the lower part of said housing, a reservoir carried by said vehicle and said pipe communicating with said reservoir, and a pump for forcing said melted snow to the reservoir; a steam distributing manifold in said housing, a conductor pipe from said manifold to each said steam sprayer frame,

a main feed pipe from the source of steam to said manifold and an automatic valve device within said manifold to control passage of steam to said pump, said' automatic means comprising a vertical beam lever, said manifold having a steam outlet communicating with the pump and adjacent the lower end of said beam lever, a disc valve fixed to the upper end of said beam lever and normally closing the feed pipe, said disc valve adapted to be moved horizontally from its normal position when steam is released at any of said steam spraying frames and tilt the beam lever; a valve in said lower outlet of the manifold and operable by said tilting movement of the beam lever to admit steam to the pump for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ERWIN J. JONES. 

